Colombo

Suggested Itineraries

72 Hours: Day 1

Traditional Sri Lankan Breakfast

Start your day trying a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast of egg hoppers and lunu miris at one of the many shops on the landside of Galle Road opposite of Majestic City.

Colombo Museum

You can then learn more about the island's history at the Colombo Museum and enjoy the famous Lotus Pond by Viharamahadevi Park. Combine this with a visit to the neighbouring institution, the Natural History Museum. If it is a Sunday, you might just also catch the incredibly popular and diverse art market outside, where just about everything is decoratively painted; old colonial chests to doorstops are turned into arty caricatures of British ladies and gents.

Sapumal Foundation & Gerard Mendis's Chocolatier

Before 14:00 check out the Sapumal Foundation, housing the 43 Group's world famous artwork, a slightly unorthodox art collection, but certainly an interesting one. If art is your thing, having lunch at Gerard Mendis's Chocolatier is a must. This place has turned food into a living art of delicious treats.

Dehiwala

In the afternoon learn more about island traditions by heading to Dehiwala to enjoy the popular Puppet Museum, a delightful little oddity and perhaps you will be just in time for an afternoon show. On the road further up you will come across the Dehiwala Zoo, which houses a range of indigenous animals.

Wrap up the day with a cocktail at ON14 while enjoying the sunset followed by dinner and drinks while indulging with the hopping late night music scene and good company.

72 Hours: Day 2

Galle Fort

Get up early and take the air-con Galle highway bus to the UNESCO listed Galle Fort, Asia's largest living historic citadel. A fascinating 410-year-old fort that has been occupied by three different European colonial powers, used as a defencive fort by the Portuguese, a trading outpost by the Dutch and a military base by the British during the Second World War.

Serendipity Arts Café & Restaurant

On arrival grab a coffee at the Serendipity Arts Café & Restaurant where they sell detailed historic maps of the old citadel. The fort is magical for all types of travellers with shop houses where you can find master craftsmen like Sithuvili, who turns Old Dutch chests and door panels into artistic masterpieces and characters like Fazal at the Dutch Café, known as the fort storyteller. For jewellery aficionados nothing beats a trip to the oldest jewellers on the island, Ibrahims on Church Street, or Millennium Gems where Mahesh still hand makes everything with the ancient island jewellery practice of using a cuttlefish mould.

Maritime Museum

For historians there are many places of interest, like seeing the full circuit of the old rampart walls built by the Dutch. Only one section is left from the Portuguese period at the Black Bastion in the Law Court Square. End this tour at the old gate, one of two entry points into this historic fort and set into the Maritime Museum, formerly the cinnamon and spice warehouses.

Dutch Reformed Church, Amangalla

After that head to the Dutch Reformed Church, one of Galle's greatest examples of colonial Dutch architecture. Have a chat with the lovely, old curator to hear where the original christening gown hanging on the wall comes from and why the secret tunnels known as 'the catacombs' were used to bury the dead in 1755. You can take a lunch break at a luxurious heritage hotel born out of the early Dutch period, the Amangalla, where you can enjoy people watching from its colonial street verandas.

Flag Rock

Then check out the most popular bastion, Flag Rock, located at the end of Lighthouse Street for only a few dollars. The quirky Historical Mansion Museum on Leyn Baan Street is also worth a visit due to its historical collection of fort artifacts.

Be sure to try some local delights like roasted peanuts or pineapple covered in chili, salt and pepper. Another option is the hand churned ice cream parlour known as Dairy King, selling deliciously creamy cinnamon ice cream and crunchy cashew nut, chocolate chip and minty treats.

72 Hours: Day 3

Breakfast

If you are feeling tired of the hectic city life and looking for a change, why not wake up early morning and head to Diyatha Uyana in Battaramulla. This is a fascinating place to visit and located only 30 minutes away from the hotel by taxi. Don’t forget to grab some coffee on the way out from EAT2GO.Try something different and have a truly Sri Lankan breakfast from the only organic food store, Ranbatha at Diyatha Uyana. There are options like string hoppers with pol sambal and delicious gravy or milk rice with lunimiris. All the food is served on a lotus leaf and guaranteed to be greener and healthier.

Sri Jayawardanepura

Feeling full of delicious and freshly made string hoppers, spend the afternoon in Sri Jayawardenepura, the ancient capital city of the last kingdom within Sri Lanka. Today it’s a blend of modern and traditional landscapes. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is also where the new Parliament of Sri Lanka is located, built by the great architect Geoffrey Bawa. On the grounds across from the Parliament Building, surrounded by the serenity of Diyawanna Oya, you can often see people playing cricket and families enjoying time together. After your visit be sure to head over to La Trattoria for a sensational Italian lunch experience.

Ape Gama

End an exciting three days by learning about Sri Lankan village life at Ape Gama in Battaramulla. Broken into three parts 'Ape Gama' combines a craft village, folklore centre and a mini zoo. The village leader shares fascinating details on the island's flora and fauna and traditional physicians clinic that uses spices and herbs. Afterwards you can also check out craft shops like Laksala that make traditional pottery with mud. Here you can buy all sorts of lovely, locally made gifts each one handcrafted out of love.